Fat City gets obese

EXAMINER EDITORIAL WRITER

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, June 23, 1999

ERIN MCCORMICK'S "Fat City" series in The Examiner this week documenting the explosive growth in city spending brings to mind the observation of Willie Sutton when asked why he robbed banks. "Because that's where the money is," Sutton replied.

San Franciscans have a right to be concerned by a municipal government whose spending has climbed from $2.6 billion four years ago to an anticipated $4.1 billion next year. They have a right to be concerned by overtime pay that has risen 50 percent in the last four years, compiling an annual tab of more than $64 million. And they have the right to be concerned about employees who double their base pay with overtime, including Muni dispatchers, cops, a utility plumber's supervisor, an eligibility worker and a stationary engineer. Some earn more than the mayor.

Citizens may not agree with mayoral budget director Matthew Hymel that "overtime is a necessary evil." To them, it may just look like a rip-off.

City Hall is a vast sponge that soaks up money. No puddles are left. Nature abhors dampness.

That giant sucking sound you hear in the wings is more tax money-swallowing ideas, including "living wages," paid parental leave for city workers, universal health care, big-buck bond measures and almost sure increases in Muni fares.

Is it any wonder that The City's green eyeshades predict municipal budget deficits in a few years?

Even with the current spendthrift attitude, citizens might be content if they knew they were getting their money's worth. But - just as an example - big bucks for some Muni workers doesn't seem to translate into better, faster or kinder Muni service. Just the contrary, in the experience of a lot of riders.

For many San Franciscans, neither the expenditure of an extra $1 billion-plus nor the addition of 2,700 city workers in four years has markedly improved the provision of city services.

The Examiner's McCormick has performed a public service - as she has often done in the past - by pulling aside the veil and exposing the facts, and fatuousness, of a spendaholic city.

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The good news is that city revenues have expanded rapidly. The bad news is that city spending has more than kept up. And the worst news, accountants fear, is that when the fat times end, Fat City will fall flat on its bloated face.

Then they'll say, "City Hall. Yeah, that's where the money was - once upon a time." &lt;

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